>>19051
>The government taps phones.
In most countries, yes. The United States operates one of the largest data collection (spying) centers in the world, the Utah Data Center. Your story describes a scenario that sounds frightening because most Americans have never had an experience like that; the US government prefers its citizenry to be uneducated and kept in the dark about most matters of how their rights are being violated. (The concept of "rights" is silly anyways - you have no rights other than those you make for yourself, they aren't given to or taken away from you by a government.)
If your government is as authoritarian as you say, they almost certainly collect all of your internet traffic too (just like the US). Setting up a VoIP phone alone won't improve your privacy, and in fact could make it worse. Ashley even mentions in the video that traditional telecommunications are inherently insecure, and she's right. The majority of methods people use to communicate today are unencrypted and completely owned (and "pwned") by governments and corporations.
>If calling charges are cheaper this way
VoIP is very cheap, almost certainly cheaper than whatever smartphone plan you probably have.
You self-described as being a tech retard. By merit of being here, you probably have some degree of interest in technology, or at least an interest in places online that deviate from the beaten path. Your post implies that privacy is at least somewhat important to you. In some countries even using a VPN can result in prison time (if you're caught). What steps have you taken to learn more about privacy, the undoubtedly unjust laws of your country, and how to safely implement what you've learned into your life?